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Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Thief gets away with Picasso piece
Posted by:
McGruff
()
Date: July 07, 2011 06:14AM
San Francisco thief gets away with $200,000 Picasso piece
By The CNN Wire Staff
July 6, 2011 7:55 p.m. EDT
http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/07/06/california.stolen.picasso/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
(CNN) -- San Francisco police are working on a new lead in the search for a man who walked into an art gallery in Union Square and walked out with a $200,000 Picasso piece under his arm.
Around 11:40 a.m. Tuesday, the suspect entered the Weinstein Gallery, walked straight to the painting, removed it and walked out, San Francisco police said.
He then entered a cab that appeared to be waiting and drove away.
Police describe the suspect as a 6-foot-tall male between the ages of 30-35. He was wearing a white shirt, a dark jacket, glasses and loafers at the time of the incident.
The owner of Lefty O'Doul's, a nearby restaurant, told police Wednesday he thinks he captured the suspect on the restaurant's surveillance camera.
The video shows a man walking with what looks like a painting under his arm at the same time the gallery reported the theft, CNN affiliate KGO reports.
The man captured in the video matches the description police released yesterday, KGO said.
"It's pretty high resolution and I'm sure if they post this on the air that someone will recognize this guy and find him," said the restaurants owner, Nick Bovis.
Investigators described the video as "very clear" and said they are waiting to confirm the suspect with witnesses.
"The description is very similar to what we were given yesterday," said Albie Esparaza with the San Francisco police.
"It's a unique piece. It's something of high value, so we're hoping it will turn up very soon somewhere."
The stolen artwork is a pencil-and-paper piece by Picasso titled "Tete de Femme," or "Head of a Woman." The piece is a unique piece drawn in 1965 and valued around $200,000.
Gallery owner Roland Weinstein said he's always attempted to bring original works by artists like Picasso and Mark Chagall to the street level so that they are easily available to the public.
"We just need to do a better job in the future to make sure our security is in place," Weinstein said.
Investigators have interviewed the cab driver and impounded the vehicle. All San Francisco cabs have surveillance videos and police are monitoring the tapes for the suspect.
Investigators said they are hoping the suspect will have a difficult time selling the piece to a dealer because it is so original.
By The CNN Wire Staff
July 6, 2011 7:55 p.m. EDT
http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/07/06/california.stolen.picasso/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
(CNN) -- San Francisco police are working on a new lead in the search for a man who walked into an art gallery in Union Square and walked out with a $200,000 Picasso piece under his arm.
Around 11:40 a.m. Tuesday, the suspect entered the Weinstein Gallery, walked straight to the painting, removed it and walked out, San Francisco police said.
He then entered a cab that appeared to be waiting and drove away.
Police describe the suspect as a 6-foot-tall male between the ages of 30-35. He was wearing a white shirt, a dark jacket, glasses and loafers at the time of the incident.
The owner of Lefty O'Doul's, a nearby restaurant, told police Wednesday he thinks he captured the suspect on the restaurant's surveillance camera.
The video shows a man walking with what looks like a painting under his arm at the same time the gallery reported the theft, CNN affiliate KGO reports.
The man captured in the video matches the description police released yesterday, KGO said.
"It's pretty high resolution and I'm sure if they post this on the air that someone will recognize this guy and find him," said the restaurants owner, Nick Bovis.
Investigators described the video as "very clear" and said they are waiting to confirm the suspect with witnesses.
"The description is very similar to what we were given yesterday," said Albie Esparaza with the San Francisco police.
"It's a unique piece. It's something of high value, so we're hoping it will turn up very soon somewhere."
The stolen artwork is a pencil-and-paper piece by Picasso titled "Tete de Femme," or "Head of a Woman." The piece is a unique piece drawn in 1965 and valued around $200,000.
Gallery owner Roland Weinstein said he's always attempted to bring original works by artists like Picasso and Mark Chagall to the street level so that they are easily available to the public.
"We just need to do a better job in the future to make sure our security is in place," Weinstein said.
Investigators have interviewed the cab driver and impounded the vehicle. All San Francisco cabs have surveillance videos and police are monitoring the tapes for the suspect.
Investigators said they are hoping the suspect will have a difficult time selling the piece to a dealer because it is so original.